98 NATURE'S STORY OF THE YEAR 



green ; the gills are tipped with gold, the back is 

 green, shaded with gold. After every successful 

 combat he appears to assume even brighter tints, 

 but if overcome he fades somewhat, and often, if 

 confined in an unsuitable vessel, he becomes as 

 white as other fish on the under surface. 



When the nests are ready, the female fish are 

 seeking suitable places in which to lay their eggs ; 

 but if one approaches a nest she is attacked by the 

 owner, and has to fly for her life. 



And here it may be truly said that of all 

 wretched creatures on the face of the earth, at 

 this season the female stickleback is the most 

 miserable. Less agile than usual, because of her 

 condition which is such as to be obvious (one 

 would think) to the meanest intelligence or 

 instinct she is chased, bitten, and driven away 

 by every male on whose territory she trespasses ; 

 and, there being hardly ever any neutral ground 

 between these areas, she has no sooner escaped 

 one persecutor than she is attacked by another, 

 until possibly she can find temporary safety in the 

 weeds, into the densest growth of which she will 

 wedge herself. But even then she may have to lie 



